Foldable seat



April 29, 19 9 y L. A. LQEB 3,441,312

FOLDABLE SEAT Filed Dec. 7. 1966 I Sheet fs Lowvence. 9. Leah Z6 7 INVENTOR k BY April 29,19 9 L. A. LOEB 3,

FOLDABLE [SEAT Filed Dec. 7, 1966 Sheet .2 or s INVENTOR Lawrence, H. Loeb April'29,1969 L. A. LOEB 3,441,312

Q FOLDABLE SEAT,

Filed Dec. 7, 1966' Sheet 3 of5 Lawvemc'e. H. Loeb INVENTOR ORNEYj United States Patent FOLDABLE SEAT Lawrence A. Loeb, 39 Trumbull St., New Haven, Conn. 06510 Filed Dec. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 599,814 Int. Cl. A47c 3/00 Cl. 297-374 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to portable folding seats and more particularly relates to such a seat having an adjustable back rest which is particularly adapted for use on flat surfaces to provide a back rest.

In many environments and activities, such as sailing, the provided seat structures may comprise only flat boards or benches which provide no support for a persons back. A person sitting on such flat boards or benches, after a period of time, will experience discomfort due to the lack of back support. Accordingly, the present invention provides a new and improved folding and portable seat with an adjustable back rest which may be handily carried by a person for use in various environments, particularly in sailing. The invention further provides such a seat with new and improved means for adjusting the angle of the back rest to suit the comfort of the user, and positively supporting the back rest at a plurality of angles with respect to the seat.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a new and improved foldable seat.

Another object of this invention is to provide a seat of the type described in which the back rest may be adjusted to a plurality of angles with great facility.

Another object of this invention is to provide a seat of the type described having new and improved adjusting elements which may be locked in a plurality of positions to predetermine the angle of inclination of the back rest, and support the back rest in such position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a seat of the type described in which the adjusting mechanism is sturdy in construction and which has no undue stress imposed upon the back rest or the adjusting mechanism. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. The invention, however, both as to its organization and operation, may best be appreciated by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: I

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a foldable seat embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the adjusting mechanism of the seat of FIG. I seen from the right side thereof;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view seen in the plane of line 3-3 of FIG. l and further illustrating a locking mechanism to predetermine the position of the back rest adjusting mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of another back rest adjusting element which may be utilized in conjunction with the invention;

3,441,312 Patented Apr. 29, 1969 "ice FIG. 5 is a view partially cut away of the element of FIG. 4 showing its cooperation with the back rest;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a portion of the seat and back rest showing a still further adjusting mechanism for the angle of inclination of the back rest;

FIG. 7 is a rear view partially cut away showing a still further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a side view partially in section of the device shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a side view, similar to FIG. 2, showing a further embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the adjusting member of FIG. 9.

A seat 10 in which the invention may be embodied comprises a seat panel 11 which may have upper and lower pads 12 and 12a thereon. A back rest 13 is mounted to seat panel 11 by means of hinges 14 and 15 secured to both the seat panel and the lower portion of the back rest. Hinges 14 and 15 may be secured to a cross member 16 having a surface 17 elevated above the surface of seat panel 11 so that in a folded position the back rest 13 will assume the position shown in dotted line in FIG. 2. In this position an elongated slot defining a hand hold 18 defined therein will be aligned with a similar elongated slot defining a hand hold 19 in the forward portion of seat panel 11. In this manner when the back rest 13 is folded substantially parallel to seat panel 11, a pad 20 on back rest 13 will fold against pad 12 and the user may carry the folded seat through the hand holds 18 and 19 in the same way that a brief case might be carried. The seat panel 11, back rest 13 and member 16 may be formed from wood, molded plastic or any other suitable material.

Mounted to the back of back rest 13 and extending substantially perpendicular therefrom are support means which may comprise rib-like back rest support members 22 and 23 each having a bottom support and stopping surface 24.

In accordance with the invention, there is adjustably mounted to seat panel 11 between the hinge connection thereof to back rest 13 and the rear edge of seat panel 11 a back rest angle adjusting and support member 26. Member 26 is longitudinally movable in U-shaped brackets 27 carried on the seat panel 11 and may be locked to seat panel 11 by means of a plurality of bolts 28 extending through a slot 29 in member 26. Bolts 28 are threadably received in seat panel 11. The bolts 28 are headed and received thereon is a washer 30. The bolts 28 may be utilized to secure lock member 26 to seat panel 11. At each end of member 26 there is defined a series of stepped surfaces indicated by reference numerals 31 and 32. This series, or set, has the same number of surfaces and is identically formed. Thus, as member 26 is moved across the back of seat panel 11, the surfaces 24 of support members 22 and 23 will engage the highest step as shown in FIG. 1 and then successively lower steps to provide a plurality of inclined positions of back rest 13 as exemplified in dotted line in FIG. 2. The location of the series, or sets, of steps 31 and 32 on member 26 will be chosen in accordance with the spacing of support members 22 and 23, or vice versa. In a preferred form, each surface 31a, 31b, 31c and 31d of a set 31 may be inclined transversely of its length, as exemplified in FIG. 2, so that surfaces 24 will seat flush thereon.

It may thus be seen that by setting the position of member 26 so that any pair of steps of the two series are aligned under the surfaces 24, a plurality of positions of back rest 13 may be predetermined. The surfaces of each set 31 and 32 provide engagement surfaces which stop pivotal motion of surfaces 24 and, hence, back rest 13, and further provide support for back rest 13 in its predetermined position.

To aid in predetermining the position of member 26 to position a given pair of steps on member 26 with surfaces 24, member 26 may be provided with a plurality of grooves or detents 34 adapted to receive a plunger 35 therein biased theretoward by a spring 36, the plunger 35 and spring 36 being carried in a container 37 which is fitted into a recess in the back edge of member 16. Thus, as member 26 is moved longitudinally across seat panel 11, the plunger 35 will successively engage detents 34 which insures that a pair of identical surfaces of each series of steps is located directly beneath the surfaces 24.

FIG. 4 illustrates another adjusting and support member 26a which may allow an infinite number of positions of back rest 13, or may be utilized for a predetermined number of positions determined by detents 34. Member 26a has defined thereon identical sloping or inclined surfaces 38 and 39 adapted to be engaged by matingly sloped surfaces 40 (only one shown) on support members 22 and 23 (only support member 22 shown in FIG.

The surfaces 38 and 39 may be transversely sloped or inclined transversely of their length as shown in FIG. 5 so as to always provide full surface contact with surface 40.

FIG. 6 exemplifies another adjusting and support member 42 having a pair of inclined surfaces 43 (only one shown) which are also convex. In this embodiment the support members 22 and 23 have complementarily formed concave stopping surfaces 44 arranged to make full surface engagement with surfaces 43.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the back support members, identified by the reference numeral 46 (only one shown) are slidable along the length of the back of the back rest and define an elongated slot 47 which spans a pair of positioned fastening devices such as wing nuts 48 disposed about bolts 49 and 50 carried by and extending through back rest 13. Washers 51 are disposed about bolts 49 and 50 beneath the wing nuts 48 to allow compressive forces exerted by the wing nuts to be applied on a larger area. With this construction, the support members may be moved longitudinally with respect to the length or height of back rest 13 and, in so doing, vary the position of surfaces 52 thereof, and thereby vary the angle of inclination of the back rest at which surfaces 52 will be stopped and supported by a member 53 carried on the seat panel.

FIGS. 9 and illustrate still another embodiment of the invention which utilizes an elongated rotatable adjusting member 55 having a plurality of surfaces extending along the length thereof which define a polygon when member 55 is viewed in cross section. Mounted to opposite sides of seat panel 11 between the rear edge thereof and the hinge connection of back rest 13 thereto are support members shown in the form of angles 56 and 57 carrying shafts 58 and 59, respectively. The shafts 58 and 59 extend into member 55 and thereby support member 55 on and above the upper surface of seat panel 11. At the end of one shaft 58 is attached thereto a hand knob 60 to facilitate rotative positioning of member 55. The shafts 58 and 59 may either be one continuous shaft extending all the way through the length of member 55, or may be discontinuous as shown. The shafts 58 and 59 have a common axis, which axis is displaced from the center of member 55. with this arrangement, when member 55 is rotated the surfaces thereof which provide engaging surfaces to contact stopping surfaces 24, reside in different elevations and thereby predetermine the angle of back rest 13 with respect to seat panel 11. Member 55 further acts as a support for back rest 13 and the shafts 58, 59 and members 56 and 57 transfer the loading on the back rest to seat panel 11. The shaft 59 may be axially locked in position as by means of split washers 61 received in a groove in the shaft as exemplified by shaft 59. Shaft 58 is axially locked in position by means of a set screw 62 in knob 60.

It may thus be seen that the present invention provides a new and improved portable seat with back rest which may be carried with facility and which provides for quick and easy adjustment of the angle of inclination of the back rest when in use.

The objects of the invention set forth as well as those made apparent from the preceding description have been efiiciently attained. While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown for purposes of disclosure, other embodiments of the invention as well as modifications to the disclosed embodiments thereof which do not depart from the scope of the invention may appear to others skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable seat comprising a seat panel having front and rear edges, a back rest having top and bottom edges, the bottom edge of said back rest being pivotally mounted to said seat panel adjacent to but spaced from the rear edge of said seat panel, a plurality of support members on the back of said back rest providing stopping surfaces, means mounted to said seat panel between the rear edge thereof and the pivotal mounting of said back rest to said seat panel, providing engaging surfaces for said stopping surfaces to limit pivotal motion of said back rest and support said back rest on said seat panel, one of said mounted means and said engaging surfaces being adjustable to adjust the angle at which said back rest is supported with respect to said seat by said engaging surfaces.

2. The seat of claim 1, further including a member slidably mounted with respect to said seat panel adjacent to the rear edge thereof for longitudinal movement along the rear edge, said member providing a plurality of said engaging surfaces, each adapted to be abutted by one of said stopping surfaces, said engaging surfaces being inclined along the length thereof, and means for positioning said member with respect to said seat panel.

3. The seat of claim 2 wherein said inclined surfaces are further inclined transversely of the length thereof and said stopping surfaces are complementarily inclined.

4. The seat of claim 2 wherein said inclined surfaces are convex transverse the length thereof and said stopping surfaces are complementarily formed.

5. The seat of claim 1 wherein said support members are slidable with respect to the length of said back rest.

6. The seat of claim 1 further including a member slidably mounted with respect to said seat panel adjacent the rear edge thereof for longitudinal movement along the rear edge, said member having defined thereon a plurality of similar sets of stepped surfaces providing said engaging surfaces, the stepped surfaces of each set being paired with the other sets, the paired surfaces being at the same elevations with respect to said seat panel.

7. The seat of claim 6 wherein said surfaces of each set are inclined transversely of the length of the set.

8. The seat of claim 1 further including a member extending across the width of said seat panel and spaced from the rear edge thereof, said member having an upper surface elevated with respect to said seat panel, hinge means interconnecting said member and said back rest and providing said pivotal mounting, the pivot of said hinge means being so located that said back rest may be folded substantially flush with said seat panel.

9. The seat of claim 8 wherein elongated slots are defined adjacent the front edge of said seat panel and the upper edge of said back panel so that when said back panel is folded substantially flush with said seat panel said elongated slots coincide and provide a grip for carrying said seat.

10. The seat of claim 1 wherein said mounted means comprises a member rotatably mounted at opposite sides of said seat panel, said member having a plurality of surfaces each providing engaging surfaces, said member being mounted for rotation about an axis which is non-central with respect to a cross-section of said member.

11. The seat of claim 1 further comprising a pair of supports mounted to said seat panel at opposite sides thereof between the pivotal mounting of said back rest and the rear edge thereof, an elongated member rotatably mounted in said supports above said seat panel, said elongated member being polygonal in cross-section and having a plurality of surfaces providing said engaging surfaces, said elongated member having an axis of rotation displaced from the center of the polygonal section.

12. A portable seat comprising a seat panel having front and rear edges, a back rest having upper and lower edges, the lower edge of said back rest being pivotally mounted to said seat panel adjacent to but spaced from the back edge of said seat panel, a support member mounted to the 'back of said back rest and providing a stopping surface, means mounted to said seat panel between the back edge thereof and the pivotal mounting of said back rest to said seat panel and providing an engaging surface for said stopping surface to limit pivotal motion of said back rest away from said seat panel and support said back rest on said seat panel from further pivotal motion, one of said mounted means and said member providing an engaging surface being adjustable to adjust the angle at which pivotal motion of said back rest is limited with respect to said seat panel, and said back rest is supported with respect to said seat panel by said engaging surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,219,437 3/1917 Butler 297-377 2,429,795 10/1947 Blanchard et 3.1.

1,856,534 5/1932 Boery 297-373 2,585,447 2/1952 Eichorst 297376 2,635,679 4/1953 McDonald 297374 XR 2,868,274 1/1959 Miller 297377 XR 3,062,584 11/1962 Galla 297-374 3,271,071 9/1966 Tabor 297375 20 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

GLENN O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner. 

